Back-to-back cold fronts expected

People planning to put away their winter coats may want to hold back for a while as a cold front is expected to arrive tomorrow, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.

The cold front is expected to affect northern and northeastern regions. Showers are likely in northern, northeastern and mountainous areas of the south.

Another cold front is expected on Monday, the bureau said.

Temperatures tomorrow are expected to drop to 14˚C in the north, 17˚C in central regions, 20˚C in the south and 18˚C in the east.

Meanwhile, concerns about an imminent drought arose as records showed that many places in central and southern parts of the country have not received any rain since last month.

WARNING

The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Water Resources Agency issued a warning on Tuesday about a water shortage.

Central Weather Bureau forecaster Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said the phenomenon was unusual, adding that last month the nation may have received among the lowest precipitation on record.

Information provided by the bureau showed that observation stations in Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung had not recorded rainfall for 49 consecutive days since last month.

The accumulated rainfall in Taipei so far this month is 5.1mm. Accumulated rainfall in December and last month were 39.7mm and 36.1mm respectively.

Hsinchu received 19.3mm last month and 9.22mm so far this month.

Records showed very little rain for the Sun Moon Lake and Alishan regions.

Northern regions meanwhile, only received about half the seasonal average, Wu said.

DEMAND

Wu said the country was generally drier in winter. However, as farmers in central and southern parts of the country have started to till their lands for spring, which increases water demand, many worried there may soon be water shortages.

The bureau said that rainfall this month and next month should be within normal range.

More rain is likely in April, it said.

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